Centre Keen To Make West Bengal Business Hub: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the Centre is making efforts to make West Bengal a premier trading and business hub through port-led development.

Dedicating four projects, including the ambitious 348-km Dobhi-Durgapur natural gas pipeline built by government-owned GAIL, to the nation, PM Modi said these will make Haldia a major centre for import and export.

"Our efforts will be directed towards making the state a premier one in trading and business activity in the country. For this, port-led development is feasible and Haldia will play an important role in it," he said.

"Haldia will help the East to become self-reliant in the energy sector. This will in turn help in the aim of a self-reliant India," the prime minister said at a function to dedicate the infrastructure projects worth Rs 4,700 crore to the nation.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was an invitee at the event, did not turn up. However, Trinamool MP Dibyendu Adhikari, who has been maintaining distance from the party, attended the programme.

The PM said with the inauguration of the Dhobi-Durgapur pipeline, gas connectivity in the eastern region will be strengthened.

"The four projects (belonging to GAIL, BPCL and NHAI) will help in ease of doing business and living in the east, and make Haldia a major centre for export and import," PM Modi said.

The expansion of the natural gas pipeline network will also reduce the cost of natural gas, he said.

"Today, India is the largest consumer of natural gas in Asia. When we got the mandate six years ago, we drew up an agenda to develop the eastern region, which was lagging behind," he said.

The central government, PM Modi said, has made major efforts in developing rail, road, airport and port connectivity.

He said the gas pipeline will bring new enterprises and prevent closure of the old ones through the extension of the PM Urja Ganga project.

"Today, the aim is that of a one-nation, one-gas grid. This will be a big movement. In this Union Budget, we have created a mission to get hydrogen as clean fuel," the PM said.